One Egg in the Carton

A photographer begins the day

I rolled out of bed at 6am.
The light hazily fluttered through the curtains.
Use the restroom — start the coffee.
Stomach growls like an angry beast.
What is there to eat?

There is one egg in the carton.
Forgetfulness to buy more.
I’ll scrawl a note on to the ripped paper on the refrigerator.
Buy more eggs.
Saturdays are great for buying food.
But what is there to eat right now?

The coffee is done.
I pour it into a large blue ceramic mug.
I take a sip.
It is hot and beckons my senses to come alive.
This does not satisfy my stomach.

I look at the one egg and it stares back at me.
Once it was going to be so much more than it is.
It was going to be a chicken.
But a farmer had a very different plan.
Robbed of its youth, it is here now.

I move a tall red pot from the cupboard to the sink.
I fill it with water to boil.
The rolling boil starts as I review emails to start the day.
The egg stares at me and prepares to enter the steamy bath.
It feels like a sauna — but a sauna for eggs?
I laugh to myself.

Fifteen minutes later I remember the egg.
Messages distract as I try to quickly reply to start the day.
I turn off the gas and carefully remove the water from the pot.
The egg stares at me.
It is hard boiled now.

I think to myself that I never make enough photos.
I keep a small camera in my jacket pocket so I am ready.
I retrieve the camera and make an image.
The egg smiles and telepathically says “I am your breakfast and your model”.
I laugh to myself again.
Life is too short not to have an imagination.

I thank God for another day on this earth.
I am thankful for the egg and coffee in my stomach.
Later I will try to stop work early to go to the store.
And perhaps another day an egg will save the day again.

Hi, I am Charlie Naebeck

I am a professional photographer and teacher. Voted in the top 10 photography teachers in NYC. Top photography writer on Medium. 

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